A Rose By Any Other Name
by divalicious2
Summary: At the request of several of you, I've decided to revamp an old story. Some aspects are the same, but obviously a lot has changed. It's still Charlotte centered If you know the old story, no spoilers please. I even deleted the old story, just to be safe. And for those old readers, I have some very cool PP news. PS there will be some easter eggs throughout the story just for fun. :)


He knew it was Charlotte's house. But it didn't sound like Charlotte's house. He knew this because he knew this house. It was a quiet house. Charlotte was reserved and didn't want anyone messing with her, or even having the chance of having to put on a facade after a long day at work or on the weekend to be nice to someone. So when she got home from work she stayed home. Wouldn't even go sit on the porch because as she'd put it, "Someone might see me there and think that me sitting on my own damn porch is an invitation, saying hey, come talk to me! When really what I'm saying is, this is my damn house and my damn porch. I worked all day dealing with idiots and mostly men's egos. I don't want to work anymore dealing with you. Leave me alone."

He'd gotten her a doormat for Christmas. On the top door the mat in dark, bold print was simply, "Leave".

Charlotte had loved it.

He was staring at it right now under his feet. That's how he knew he was at the right house. But from inside that house he heard shrill laughter. Working around children all day it was a sound he could identify. It was a young girl laughing. And Charlotte. So, he was curious. He rang the doorbell.

That was a mistake.

"Hey," he smiled, as the door opened, but that was as far as he got.

Charlotte read him the riot act for showing up without calling. Then berated him for taking what precious little time she had to spend with her relatives- as seldom as it was that they chose to come out to LA.

So seldom it was never.

"Coop, this isn't a good time."

He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted.

"_The movie's on!"_

Cooper started. He was surprised by the other voice inside Charlotte's house. Though he was happy to note that at least it wasn't a man's voice. And he noted, Charlotte didn't seem surprised, she seemed downright scared.

Charlotte seemed to jump out of her skin at the voice. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she physically jumped and immediately started to back away from the door to close it fully.

Charlotte glanced furtively back inside. "I have to go," she hissed. "I'll be sending a patient to you in the morning."

"Uh," he tried in vain to look past her into the house, "okay. Would you have told me this if I hadn't shown up tonight?"

"No," she answered.

The door slammed in his face.

-The Next Day-

"Morning."

Violet gave Dell a nod in acknowledgment as she walked past the front desk. Cooper drove her to work, but he'd chosen to take the stairs and could walk at a normal pace. As such she knew he was already in his office and settling in for the day while she was meandering around. Fine by her. She also planned on meandering to the kitchen to get breakfast. She wasn't in a rush, and that was good. She couldn't rush if her life depended on it.

"Morning Violet, did you sleep okay last night?" Dell answered her, still filing morning paperwork before the desk receptionist arrived. He may have his own office now, but let's face it, the practice would fall apart if he weren't still doing his old job, which included going behind the receptionist and doing most of her work, too.

Violet stopped where she was and smiled at Dell. He really was so sweet to care so much about everyone. But, she remembered, of course he would care, we're his only family.

"I slept like a rock," she answered.

His eyes brightened. "Glad to hear it! You need to get all the sleep you can, while you still can!"

She could see that Dell was about to start telling one of his stories about how hard it was for Heather to sleep, and how hard it was for them both to sleep when Betsey did not sleep at all. She had some work to catch up on this morning, but really she was actually feeling good. She didn't want to ruin that good feeling by hearing more about the things she dreaded about becoming a parent, like losing her life to lack of sleep.

So she held up a hand and waved as she continued to walk, "I've got a lot paperwork to catch up on before my first patient shows up.

Dell nodded, because he knew. Of course, he knew, and knew her only too well. "Don't worry too much, your first patient isn't going to be until ten."

Considering it was LA Naomi and Sam had been smart to schedule the work day around LA traffic times. While most businesses opened at nine, their official start to the work day was 9:30 with most able to arrive by then, and if not, ten AM. It was just after nine, now.

Everyone had time, and that was nice. It wasn't just for the mental health of their patients, but for themselves too that this well-thought out window of time existed. It was what allowed their practice to be calm, while certain other practices were either secretly or openly as frantic as their harried LA patients.

Violet smiled a grateful smile then. "Thanks Dell." He understood, and she was thankful for that. So now she continued on to her office to sit and relax on her couch and think about what she wanted for breakfast.

The phone rang. Dell reached over a stack of files to answer it.

"Oceanside Wellness-"

"Uh, um, yes, he's here." At his tone, Violet stopped just as she'd reached out for the door handle. She looked back and saw Dell pull the receiver away from his face and stare at it for a moment before hanging it up.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Dell's voice was calm, but he looked worried.

"Who was that?"

"That was Charlotte King."

Her face couldn't help it. It grimaced on its own. "What did she want?"

"She wanted to know if Dr. Freedman was in. When I said yes, she hung up the phone."

"Sounds like my cue to make myself scarce," Violet gave a lop-sided smile.

Dell laughed. He understood why Charlotte would be upset with Violet, and thus understood why Violet tried to stay out of Charlotte's way lately. When Violet closed the door behind her, Dell turned back to his work. The files in the filing cabinet were in order, but the papers within the files were a bit haphazardly thrown in. At the moment he was just straightening the papers in the files before placing them-

"Crap!" He hissed as an entire file, and its contents were knocked to the floor.

"I knew I should have just organized from within the cabinet," he grumbled to himself, bending down to retrieve the papers and file from the floor. Once grabbed, he placed them on the desk, put the papers in order and back into their designated file. Then, having learned from his mistake, he placed the file on top of the others, picked them all up, and deposited them back in their filing cabinet of origin behind him.

"I'll deal with you, later." He said, pointing to the filing cabinet. Then he shrugged, it wasn't vital after all. There was time. He sat down with a sigh.

The sound of a throat clearing made Dell look up with a start. The face of a young girl, just barely above the desk top, stared back at him. A girl with dark blonde hair that was knotted and matted. His Dad alarm started going off. This child needed protection and was clearly in need of help. She looked as if she lived on the streets.

He felt somewhat embarrassed, and wondered how long she'd been standing there, but gave his warmest smile.

"Hi there! Sorry, I didn't hear you before."

The girl smiled at him in return.

"Hello, sir. I'm here to see Dr. Cooper Freedman."

Good! His brain said. Be professional, he reminded it. Dell glanced at the schedule. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Um….well, I really don't know sir. I think so. My aunt told me to come."

"You're here by yourself?" He glanced around the empty waiting area. Violet had been the last person to arrive, and she was already sitting on her couch with her back to the reception area.

"Yes, sir."

Dell smiled warmly, keeping his concern to himself.

"What's your name? I'll tell Dr. Freedman you're here."

"Luanne King."

He nodded. "And your mother's, I mean, your aunt's name?"

"Charlotte King- she's Dr. Charlotte King. She works over at the hospital."

Dell's eyes widened, then he squinted looking at the girl. He smiled again, trying not to look too shocked. "Okay, just have a seat then, I'll let him know you're here."

She turned and walked away to one of the chairs nearest her.

After calling Cooper on the phone intercom, Dell rose, and quickly made his way to the kitchen.

Cooper Freedman recognized the voice he heard last night. The voice was speaking to Dell. But he was bowled over when Dell informed him that Charlotte King's niece, Luanne King was there to see him, more specifically to be seen by him.

So that was who was at Charlotte's last night? But why didn't she just say Landry and...he blanked on Landry's wife's name, was in town with the kids?

This makes no sense, was what he was thinking, but then he saw the girl make eye contact with him. Quickly he gave a wide grin, and fumbled for something to say. Something smart. Something that doesn't sound like, who the heck are you, or I had no idea you had an appointment with me.

"So, your aunt is Charlotte King." Is what his brain came up with.

"Doctor Charlotte King," she smiled proudly as she corrected him.

He nodded. "Yes, Dr. Charlotte King." He smiled at her southerism.

"You know her?"

This girl looked disheveled, though right away Cooper recognized features that he attributed to Charlotte and features he'd attribute to Landry, or Charlotte's family. Like her eyes. Clearly Landry's. Those eyes had been glaring at him the entire time he'd been in that house, he remembered. But in action and manner? Nothing like her aunt. Where Charlotte King was tightly wound, closed, and angry, her brother's progeny was innocent, quiet and open. Honestly in that respect she seemed more like Duke than like Landry. He remembered meeting them both at Big Daddy's funeral. Cooper knew Landry hated him. Glared at him the entire time he was there and made it more than clear he didn't think Cooper was good enough for his baby sister. At least Duke, being closer to Cooper's age, had been friendly.

"So, you do know her?"

Cooper startled out of his thoughts.

"Yeah," he answered quickly, hoping he'd been listening, "yeah I do. We've worked together for some time."

"Oh."

Cooper made quick work of leading her back to his exam room, then slowed his pace when he realized she wasn't keeping up. She was carrying a large green beach bag, looking for all the world like Anne of Green Gables where Anne is clutching her carpet bag to her chest rather than let someone else carry it. But this girl looked even more awkward than Anne had. She looked like she was carrying cement and stumbling under the weight of it, her steps awkward, her gait uneven. Cooper was proud that he remembered not to ask her about her gate, for all he knew she had one leg shorter than the other.

_She must be carrying everything she owns in that bag. Just like Anne._ He wasn't ashamed of being familiar with the movie, being best friends with Violet Turner and being a pediatrician, he knew it benefited him to know not only what boys and men are into but also girls and their mothers.

He held the exam room door open for her and the girl stalled in the doorway, seeming flustered.

"I'm sorry!" She gave a self-deprecating laugh, "I'm Luanne King, sir. Um, Dr. Freedman, sir," she finished, clearly embarrassed and believing she'd forgotten her manners by forgetting to address him as such in the first place, and forgetting to introduce herself to him in the first place. "But please call me Caroline."

Cooper smiled. _"__Could you please call me Cordelia?"_ The similarities were starting to get creepy.

"You got it," he smiled as she walked into the room ahead of him.

"Just have a seat on the exam table there."

As she did so, still clutching the bag instead of tossing it on one of the chairs as most of his patients would have done, he walked over to the sink and began for the first time that day washing his hands in front of his patient so that they could see.

"How old are you, Caroline?" He glanced over and smiled again at her.

"Twelve." Her accent was much stronger than Charlotte's, but it had the clear sound to it of, well, money. Addison had a similar tone to her voice. Must be trained into them at private school.

He knew no relation of Charlotte's would go to public school. The only question was, private school or private boarding school? He made a mental note to ask Charlotte which she'd gone to. Admittedly the girl in front of him looked more like a war refugee than a private school attendee. He'd have to ask Charlotte about that too. Clearly something was very wrong, but he at least knew enough not to ask the kid about it directly.

"When was the last time you went to see a doctor, Caroline?" He dried his hands and began to walk over to her, keeping his tone conversational and his body language relaxed.

The girl figgetted on the table for a moment before raising her head and answering, "I dunno. Whenever the last time I was sick was."

"When were you last sick?"

"I dunno." She shrugged.

Cooper chuckled. He'd have given the same response at her age.

Caroline thought a moment then added, " I don't get sick. If I do, my mother gives me medicine at home. I only go to the doctor if school requires it. Needed to go at the beginning of school last year."

Cooper was confused. If she'd seen a doctor so recently as 6 months ago, why would Charlotte want him to see her niece now? And "gives me medicine at home" sounded like crap an anti-vaxxer would say, or honestly one of Pete's patients who didn't believe in actual medicine and gave their kids weeds to eat instead. He knew that a lot of families in the south, such as Appalachia gave their children folk medicine that had clearly worked for hundreds of years, or no one would be alive in that area today. But it was out of necessity- in that region of the country there were still to this day few, if any doctors. But again this kid was from Monroeville Alabama with money everywhere she looked. But if that were true, why does she look like that?

He decided to ask. It couldn't hurt.

He started with, "Why are you here? I mean, do you know why you're here?"

"Beats me," she answered. "My Aunt Charlotte said to come. So, I did. Sir," she added belatedly.

Caroline looked at him. "Do _you_ know why I'm here?" She was genuinely curious and obviously had no more idea why she was there than Cooper did. Which meant she couldn't be sick.

So why was she there? Cooper shook his head. It didn't make sense.

"I see." He didn't, but he had to say something. Then realized he'd probably do something, because if he didn't the kid would tell Charlotte.

"Well, I'll just check a few things, since you're here and all." She tightened the grip on her bag as he stepped towards her. She looked like she was ready to punch him or defend either herself or that bag in some way. He smiled at her,

"Now I see the family resemblance!"

She glared just like Charlotte and he couldn't help laughing aloud. "Definitely!"

There was more than a half hour before the practice opened for business. Addison and Naomi were still eating breakfast when Dell opened the kitchen door just wide enough to peek his head in.

"Sorry, don't worry, I _am_ maning the desk for the time being, but- did you know Charlotte King has a niece?"

"I'm sure there's a lot we don't know about Charlotte King, Dell," Naomi answered.

Addison chuckled. "Let's keep it that way," she answered.

"No, she's here!"

"Charlotte?"

"No, her niece. At least, I think its her niece, that's what she said anyway."

"I don't think anyone would make that up."

"Addison!"

Addison grinned, not sorry in the least.

Naomi rose from her chair, intrigued, putting her spoon into the cereal bowl, preparing to leave it entirely. "Is Charlotte here?"

"No. The kid's here alone."

"That's odd. I mean, with Charlotte always being the one to espouse rules and law, you'd think she'd know its not exactly standard procedure to leave a child-"

"She's here to see Cooper."

"Cooper?" Addison's forehead lined in confusion. "Did she and Cooper have such a big fight that Charlotte had to send home for reinforcements, and is now making this kid be her go-between?"

Naomi looked down at her.

"We really need to work either on your imagination, or your social life."

"Thanks for telling us, Dell," Naomi smiled warmly at him. "You go on back to the desk."

Dell nodded understanding Naomi's unspoken words and walked back to the desk, knowing that the two women would soon find out all he wanted to know. It turned out he didn't have to wait long. By the time he was walking back down the opposite hall to the front desk, he could hear that Cooper was nearly finished with his exam.

Seconds later Addison walked to the desk and grabbed a random file, she then walked back to Naomi, who had positioned herself on the adjacent hallway. They huddled across from each other, as the door to Cooper's pediatric exam room opened.

Addison was glad she'd placed them at the far end of the hall, to give them more time to spy. Addison stood with her back to the girl, so that Naomi could see her, while both giving the impression of being immersed in some relevant medical conversation.

"She's a skinny little thing!" Naomi gushed. The kid was walking in front of Cooper, who looked ill himself. Naomi wondered why, but brushed it off because the kid didn't seem ill. "She's like a little bird, with bird bone arms, and tiny legs!"

They changed places.

Addison's discerning gaze seemed to size the girl up at once, but she was tactful in voicing her first impressions. "That beach tote is bigger than she is." The bag came nearly to her shoulder, and was almost down to her knees. "You could fit a whole person in there!"

"Maybe that's where Charlotte is," Naomi laughed at her own joke through bitten lips. "Move back," she ordered.

Addison changed places again and commented, "If she stays for a while, this might make an interesting case study. We might have some insight into what makes Charlotte King tick. Or, just find out why in the world Cooper dates her."

"Switch," Nae whispered.

"I'm surprised any relative of Charlotte's would go out looking like that," Addison hissed. "She looks like a cave person, or like she crawled out of-"

"Addie, be nice, she's only a little girl!" She moved back to the observing vantage point.

Though, Addie had a point. The kid looked as if she hadn't showered in weeks. Still, it was impolite to speak so meanly of a child. She was about to say so again, when she saw the elevator doors open, and watched Charlotte King step out as Cooper and the girl were halfway to her.

"Charlotte, we need to talk!" Cooper's voice sounded choked.

Nae watched Dr. King hold up one hand and shake her head silently as response to Cooper's demand. The girl stopped to shift the bag from her right shoulder to her left, then turned and stepped in front of Charlotte to get into the elevator. Naomi stared, mouth open like a fish.

Addison rolled her eyes and continued as if Naomi hadn't spoken. "That kid's hair looks like she hasn't brushed it in years and she looks-"

"Pregnant!" Naomi gasped.


End file.
